Coatings Resins Continue to Evolve

JCT Coatingstech Magazine

August 2011

Volume 8, No. 8

Page 40-45

Excerpts from… “Sustainable Performance: Coatings Resins Continue To Evolve”

By Cynthia Challener, JCT Coatingstech Contributing Writer

….Sustainability programs designed to be implemented throughout an entire organization can be daunting, according to Sue Anderson, a director with consulting firm The ChemQuest Group. “First, a company must establish how it will define sustainability, and then develop processes for all aspects of its operations. It is definitely a long-term proposition and a monumental task.”

….Some caution is recommended when it comes to resins derived from biobased raw materials, though, according to Dan Nemunaitis, a senior consultant with ChemQuest. “There has been much talk about biobased raw materials, but not many products incorporating them have been commercialized yet. While there is a lot of interest in the market place, many of these biobased products that have been introduced carry a much higher cost that customers are not willing to pay.”

“Wet-on-wet industrial coating technologies help to significantly reduce labor and other costs, but have required a fundamental shift in terms of the chemistries involved.” remarks Daniel Murad, president and CEO of ChemQuest.

“Epoxy resins are also experiencing growth on a global basis, according to George Pilcher, a vice president with ChemQuest. “There have been supply issues in this sector, but with the new Kukdo Chemical Co., Ltd. plant coming on stream, there should be some stabilization in this sector.” At the moment, Pilcher notes that one of the strongest growth areas for epoxy resins is in coatings for heavy duty equipment, as there is significant new activity in the energy industry, particularly for the recovery of natural gas from shale, and the recovery of oil from both oil sands and from so-called “dry wells,” that are being re-opened.

(To read the complete article…and more comments on “Sustainable Performance: Coatings Resins Continue To Evolve”………see JCT Coatingstech Magazine – August 2011 issue...)